Valley Brew back to beer basics

STOCKTON — Valley Brewing Co., founded as a microbrewery in 1994, in recent years has been operating as a tap house, serving a selection of 30 craft beers on tap from outside brewers.

But now it’s getting back to its roots.

A copper kettle brewing system has been installed, capable of turning out 10 kegs per batch, and the pub should begin this week cooking up some of its own in-house recipes — such as Indian Red Ale, London Tavern Ale and Black Cat Stout — owner Kellie Jacobs said.

Allowing a couple of weeks for the fermenting process, Valley Brewing should be serving its own unique brews in early September.

The original in-house brewing system is long gone. Valley Brewing had moved the beer-making operation away from the pub and restaurant at 157 Adam St., off the Miracle Mile, to a bigger off-site facility. But the extra production also meant selling kegs and cased goods to other restaurants and retail outlets.

Jacobs said it got to be too much, overseeing beer distribution and production, when what she really wanted to do was focus on running a successful restaurant, banquet room and jazz club.

“It was a financial decision,” she said. “Competing with the big boys is a whole different business.”

So about six years ago, Valley Brew switched to being a tap room.

Going back to in-house brewing will provide new types of customer experiences, said Eric Davis, executive chef and co-owner.

Valley Brew also offers a variety of beer cocktails that will be built around its own special brews.

Those beers, of course, will be unique to Valley Brewing and made “from scratch” on the premises.

And it should also boost the bottom line.

“It’s a money maker,” Jacobs said.

Yes, the business is investing tens of thousands of dollars in new equipment and installation, she said. But paying for malt, hops and yeast and brewing craft beers in house costs far less than buying kegs from other breweries.

“You get your money back in maybe four to five years,” Jacobs said.

A brewer has been hired to take on most of the work of cooking up Valley Brew recipes. Still, Jacobs promised she would take on many of the chores herself.